anyone familiar with vivitrol?

[chinky]

i was watching "mad money w/jim cramer" and he was talking about looking outside of the business section for info and ideas to invest in. and the front page on the NYtimes was talking about how heroin use is way up in teens and blah blah.. well that led him to talking about this new drug called vivitrol that is starting to get used with opiate addicts and how it might be the next big thing and to invest in it.

basically its a super suboxone, its a once a month shot that you are givin and it blocks you from getting high just like a sub does, but like i said instead of needing 24-48 to use again with subs, with vivitrol blocks the opiates for a month. when i saw him talking about this i was amazed i couldnt believe ive never heard of this drug before. the one downfall is the cast it costs like $1200 a dose. 1200$ is alot of money but if you think of the average dope addict, its really not that much cause they most likely use about that much everymonth anyways.

so my question is, have any of you tried this or have heard about it? would you guys be willing to try it knowing that you wont be able to get high for a whole month if you do?..

the other thing he was talking about was that the same company that makes vivitrol is also making a new pain reliver that is supposed to be stronger then fent and all other pain pills on the market, too bad i cant remember the name of that drug but the name if the company is Alkermes, so you can look that up if you want

 

[bagochina]

Vivitrol is just naltrexone in a depot injection preparation, slow release naltrexone. Just like a naltrexone implant.

Somebody will make money on it but its definitely not a get rich quick method, imo. Mainly because the drug sucks and it will never gain widespread use in the recovery markets or at least it hasn't had a big boom for treating opiate addicts. If regular naltrexone [oral, injections, implants] has not been very effective in treating opiate addicts and extended release version of it probably won't do much better. Nothing like buprenorphine was to the market.

The 'new' painkiller they were talking about was zohydro. A time release hydrocodone. That one might be a different story for recouping money.

 

[chinky]

i wasnt talkin about getting rich quick, that show was about buyingand selling stocks...making money takes time in that line of work

i dont understand how it wouldnt be effective? if all you need is one shot, once a month amd af..i would think doctors would be all about this newosj drut

 

[Johnny blue]

It's not that new. Been out for at least a few years probably more. The problems go deeper than the cost but that is a glaring one. There are definite side effects too that can be really bad. Years ago my boy's family put him on it in a desperate attempt to force him into sobriety. He said it made him feel empty with depression and he was warned of this prior to trying it. We have those receptors for more than recreational drug use.

 

[Tommyboy]

There are a decent amount of threads on this if you search (not preaching just mentioning that you can find the info on here). I use the advanced search and change it to 'search titles only' where you type in the keywords and it gives a lot more accurate results.

Of course it's going to be effective in keeping you from getting high for the month since it blocks other opioids for the month, but just like the naltrexone implants a lot of people go crazy from it. At least with buprenorphine it helps with cravings and can lift your mood, but I don't think that naltrexone helps in that aspect, leaving people with their cravings with no way of satisfying them. So basically they are stuck feeling miserable for the month, with no way of changing that. If you do a search on the naltrexone implants you will see people talking about performing minor surgery on themselves to remove it. I would much rather be forced to take a blockade dose of suboxone each day for a month instead of being injected with the month-long naltrexone shot.

When I did the search on vivitrol here, I found this ironic post as the last post in one of the threads on it.

Vivitrol will kill yo ass!! Didn't you read the obit??????

Pretty sad actually.

 

[chinky]

youre right i prolly should have did a search for it but i didnt want other peoples opinions on it, i wanted you guys, the nasadd view on it..since im heere damn near every day i know that its never been talked about in here in depth, so thats why i asked it here.

 

[Tommyboy]

^ I know, so that's why I said I wasn't preaching to you to search for those threads to post in, but was just letting you know that it was discussed here before since you were saying you never heard of it before I thought you might have though people on BL didn't know about it either.

Personally I would never get the injection. I would do a 3-6 month suboxone taper if I really felt like I needed some sort of assistance quitting. I think you still get PAWS while taking naltrexone, so it wouldn't help much in easing the transition into sober living like a suboxone taper would since you would feel like shit and have little motivation to make changes in your life. At least with suboxone you will get the elevated mood and be able to make some changes and make your life better so that once you are off it you will be less likely to relapse since you would be in a better place in life.

When I did the search on vivitrol I saw a thread about being court ordered to take it. That's a violation of human rights IMO, and is up there with a judge ordering someone to take birth control. They both block your body from doing something it would normally do if you put something in it, so I don't see how someone else can make that decision for you. Yea one is legal and the other is illegal, but you should have the right to fuck up if you so choose since you would be the one paying the consequences for it.

I guess it's like the drugs that prevent someone from getting drunk (not sure if they block it, but I know some make you violently ill if you drink on them) and actually naltrexone is used to treat alcohol cravings but doesn't block alcohol obviously, and blocks opioids but doesn't help with their cravings. Either way both people would be screwed if they actually needed opioids while the injection was still active in them. I would be extremely pissed if I had to suffer for a month if god forbid I had a serious injury after some judge sentenced me to 6 monthly injections of naltrexone, rendering opioid pain killers useless for to me for the remainder of the injection duration.

 

[brutus]

I have heard about it from a few doctors. I don't think insurance will cover it for opiate addiction, just alcoholism.

 

[lynyrd skynyrd]

none of you know what you are talking about. If you want to be addicted, use suboxone...if you want to be opioid free, either suck it up or get some therapy and Vivitrol. it is covered for both opioid AND alcohol with no cost to u cuz the company covers ur co pay!

 

[chinky]

you say we dont know what we are talking about, but you didnt really convince me you do either

 

[lynyrd skynyrd]

that is not my job! But clearly a few of you are very misinformed!

 

[chinky]

who are you to say we are misinformed? why should we even belive you when you say that, if you dont tell us anyting to back it up or prove to us that you know what youre talking about

 

[Welderman]

who are you to say we are misinformed? why should we even belive you when you say that, if you dont tell us anyting to back it up or prove to us that you know what youre talking about

Did you see his screen name? He don't need to explain shit. He just needs to play Freebird.

 

[chinky]

thats not even their best song.."that smell" is soo much better

whisky bottles and brand new cars
oak tree youre in my way
there too much coke
and too much smoke
look whats goin on inside you

 

[muvolution]

One of my very good friends is on this shit.
My opinion is that it is a last-ditch thing for people who can't stay sober otherwise, and even then he told me that he was so uncomfortable and feeling so shitty after the first month that he ended up almost OD'ing on mexican barbituates and benzos since he couldn't do any opiates or alcohol.

I certainly don't think it is "the future" of opiate addiction treatment, or an advance in the science, but due to the extremely fucked prison-industrial complex and big pharma lobby in this country, it may still become popular.




I find it extremely ironic they are responsible for producing and marketing both zohydro and vivitrol, though.

 

[Tommyboy]

The side effects are enough to keep me away from it, although I would never consider taking it to begin with.

Spoiler: Side Effects

SERIOUS SIDE EFFECTS

SEVERE REACTIONS AT THE SITE OF INJECTION

Some people on VIVITROL treatment have had severe reactions at the site of injection (injection site reactions), including tissue death (necrosis). Some of these injection site reactions have required surgery. Call your doctor right away if you have any of the following things happen at your injection site: intense pain, the area feels hard, large area of swelling, lumps, blisters, an open wound or dark scab.

LIVER DAMAGE OR HEPATITIS

Naltrexone, the active ingredient in VIVITROL, can cause liver damage (including liver failure) or hepatitis, if you take more than the recommended dose. Tell your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms of liver problems during treatment with VIVITROL: stomach area pain lasting more than a few days, dark urine, yellowing of the whites of your eyes, or tiredness. Your doctor may need to stop treating you with VIVITROL if you get signs or symptoms of a serious problem.

RISK OF OPIOID OVERDOSE

If you have used opioid-containing medicines or opioid street drugs in the past, you may be more sensitive to lower doses of opioids after VIVITROL treatment stops, when your next VIVITROL dose is due or if you miss a dose of VIVITROL. Using opioids in amounts you used before treatment with VIVITROL can lead to overdose and death. You may not feel the usual effects if you use or abuse heroin and other illegal (street) drugs while on VIVITROL. Do not take large amounts of opioids, including opioid-containing medicines, such as prescription pain pills, or heroin, to overcome effects of VIVITROL. This can lead to overdose including serious injury, coma, or death. You may not feel the usual effects of opioid-containing medicines including medicines for pain, cough and diarrhea while on VIVITROL. It is important that you tell your family and the people closest to you of this increased sensitivity to opioids and the risk of overdose. You or someone close to you should get emergency medical help right away if you: have trouble breathing; become very drowsy with slowed breathing; have slow, shallow breathing (little chest movement with breathing); feel faint, very dizzy, or have unusual symptoms.

SEVERE ALLERGIC PNEUMONIA

Some people on VIVITROL treatment have had severe allergic pneumonia. Call your doctor right away if you experience shortness of breath or coughing that does not go away. You may need to go to the hospital for treatment with antibiotic and steroid medicines.

SERIOUS ALLERGIC REACTIONS

Serious allergic reactions can happen during or soon after an injection of VIVITROL. Tell your doctor or get medical help right away if you have any of these symptoms of a serious allergic reaction: skin rash, swelling of your face, mouth or tongue, trouble breathing or wheezing, chest pain, feeling dizzy or faint.

OTHER POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

VIVITROL can cause other serious side effects, such as depressed mood that can sometimes lead to suicide, suicidal thoughts and suicidal behavior. You should tell your family members and the people closest to you if you are taking VIVITROL. Call your doctor right away if you experience signs of depression. Click here to find out more about some symptoms of depression.

Common side effects of VIVITROL include nausea, tiredness, headache, vomiting, decreased appetite, painful joints and muscle cramps. In addition, common side effects in people taking VIVITROL for opioid dependence also include cold symptoms, trouble sleeping, and toothache. [source]

none of you know what you are talking about. If you want to be addicted, use suboxone...

Care to explain what wanting to be addicted has to do with using suboxone? Suboxone is a 'stepping stone' used in the process of recovery, and although you are still physically dependent on opioids when using it, that doesn't make you addicted to it.

It is a tool that can help you get clean, just like other forms of treatment. There are plenty of people that use suboxone to help them get their lives back on track after a long period of abusing opiates/opioids, and then they taper off of the suboxone once their lives become more stable.

if you want to be opioid free, either suck it up or get some therapy and Vivitrol. it is covered for both opioid AND alcohol with no cost to u cuz the company covers ur co pay!

You are correct that the FDA has approved Vivitrol for the treatment of both alcohol and opioid addiction, however, you can't make the statement "the company covers your copay" as if everybody can get it for free. The information below shows that a lot of people are not eligible for free Vivitrol injections, and probably more people are not eligible than are eligible.

VIVITROL Value Program

The VIVITROL Value Program was created to help patients with treatment costs. Eligible patients may qualify for $0 co-pay for up to a maximum of $500 per month.

If you are interested in this program, you can get more information by:

Asking your doctor.​

Contacting TouchpointsSM Support Services at 1-800-VIVITROL (1-800-848-4876), Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM EST.​

*Eligibility for Alkermes-Sponsored Co-pay Assistance:
Offer valid for prescriptions for FDA-approved indications. Patients must be at least 18. Offer not valid for prescriptions purchased under Medicaid, Medicare, TRICARE®, or any federal or state healthcare program, including any state medical or pharmaceutical assistance program. Offer not valid for Massachusetts residents where prescriptions are covered in whole or in part by third-party insurance. Void where prohibited by law, taxed or restricted. Alkermes, Inc. reserves the right to rescind, revoke or amend these offers without notice.
Health Insurance Approval Assistance

Call 1-800-VIVITROL (1-800-848-4876), option 2, to speak with TouchpointsSM Support Services. Once you have a prescription from your doctor, our experienced team of specialists will help determine your coverage before you start treatment. [source]

The only people that are eligible for free Vivitrol injections are those with private insurance, who could afford it more than people on federal or state healthcare programs. I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of the people getting these injections are middle to upper-class kids (ages 18-24) whose parents give them the ultimatum to either get the injection or get kicked out of the house.

that is not my job! But clearly a few of you are very misinformed!

Who is misinformed, and what would the correct information be? It doesn't help anybody to just post that we are misinformed and don't know what we are talking about, and then not inform us.

 

[Melaniemel]

I have been on Vivitrol for 14 months. It took away ALL of my cravings and has kept me completely sober. I go to a state funded outpatient rehab and the vivitrol is covered 100% as long as I'm engaged in services there. Basically, it saved my life. I'm a HUGE advocate for it! Using Suboxone or Methadone is just giving urself another addiction that u have to withdraw from. Not a good thing imo. As soon as u start feeling those withdraws, ur gonna want to use. Vivitrol gives ur brain a chance to heal the damage u have caused and gives u time to develop new habits and a healthier way of living.